Electrosurgery involves the use of a high-frequency electrical current on biological tissue during surgical or outpatient procedures. Electro surgery has two distinct advantages over conventional surgical or outpatient procedures. It can make precise cuts and reduce blood loss considerably. Development of the first commercial electro surgical device is credited to Dr. William T. Bovie, who worked on it from 1914 to 1927 while employed at Harvard University. Over the years a variety of highly efficient and sophisticated electrosurgical devices have been developed.
With the state-of-the art electro surgical devices the following electro surgical and outpatient procedures are possible:
There is a wide range of skin and other conditions that can be treated by the procedures listed. They are skin tags, small facial tumours, angiomas, telangiectasias, warts, seborroeic keratosis and syringoma.
During electrosurgery large lesions may require the use of local anaesthesia. To prevent unintended burns, the skin is cleaned and a conductive gel is used to enhance contact. Post treatment care is very minimal and basic, and only requires washing the area involved with soap and water and the application of an antibiotic ointment.
